Abstract

Targeting is a phenomenon in which the distribution of a drug in the body occurs in such a way that the main part of it interacts with the target tissue at the cellular or subcellular level to achieve the desired pharmacological effect on the selected site without undesirable interactions in other organs. This can be achieved using a drug delivery system such as niosomes, which are non-ionic vesicles of surfactants obtained by hydrating synthetic non-ionic surfactants with the inclusion of cholesterol. They are vestibular systems similar to liposomes that can be used as carriers of amphiphilic or lipophilic drugs. Niosomes are a promising drug delivery tool, and it has been widely evaluated as a possibility of controlled release and targeted delivery of the active substance for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, viral and other infectious diseases. It can be assumed that encapsulation of the drug in the vesicular system prolongs its presence in the systemic circulation and increases the possibility of penetration into the target tissue, possibly reducing toxicity if selective absorption can be achieved.

Highlights

  • Niosomes are vesicles based on nonionic surfactants. They were originally developed as an alternative system for controlled drug delivery to liposomes to overcome problems related to sterilization, large-scale production and stability [1, 2, 3]

  • The second group of alkyl ether surfactants, in which the hydrophilic region consists of repeated oxyethylene units, was used to encapsulate insulin during oral delivery to prevent its inactivation by gastric juice [8]

  • The temperature is maintained around (60 °C) when this process is carried out, the volatile solvent is evaporated, which leads to the deposition of a lipid film on the walls of the flask, after which the addition of an aqueous phase at 45 °C leads to the production of multilayer multilamellar vesicles

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Summary

Introduction

Niosomes are vesicles based on nonionic surfactants. They were originally developed as an alternative system for controlled drug delivery to liposomes to overcome problems related to sterilization, large-scale production and stability [1, 2, 3]. Especially hexadecyldiglycerol ether (C16G2), have been described as niosome-forming surfactants and have been used for drug delivery, such as experimental cancer chemotherapy [6]. These surfactants have been used to alter the pharmacokinetics of methotrexate and doxorubicin. The second group of alkyl ether surfactants, in which the hydrophilic region consists of repeated oxyethylene units, was used to encapsulate insulin during oral delivery to prevent its inactivation by gastric juice [8] Alkyl esters, such as sorbitan and fatty acid esters (Span) and polyoxyethylene sorbitan and fatty acid esters (Tween), are widely used in cosmetics and food products, as well as in modern pharmaceuticals. There are different methods (table 1) [10,11,12,13,14,15]

The creation of small single-layer vesicles
The development of multilayer vesicles
Transmembrane pH gradient
The creation of large single-layer vesicles
Method of ether introduction
Conclusion

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